Confectionery coatings prepared from hard butters have long been used in the confectionery and in the biscuit and cracker industries to coat and enhance the flavor of a variety of centers or substrates. Generally, these coatings contain a matrix of a confectionery coating fat and particulate fill ingredients comprising flavoring amounts of cocoa powder, sugar, and non-fat dry milk or whey powder. Minor amounts of other ingredients such as lecithin may also be used. Some coatings may use chocolate liquor with the cocoa powder for texture and flavor.
In the coatings of the present invention, strong flavors such as those provided by cocoa powder and sugar are deleterious, tending to mask or overwhelm, when used in more than threshold amounts, the more mild delicate flavors of such food groups as meat, fish, foul or vegetable. For purposes of the present invention, the term threshold amounts means that amount or greater to produce an ascertainable flavor of the food group intended; e.g., cocoa powder or sugar.
Currently, in the snack industry, flavors can be added to a dough prior to cooking, or by spraying with oil-containing, oil-soluble flavors, or by dusting with a flavoring powder, to obtain desired flavors in a variety of snacks. These methods all have disadvantages. Adding flavor to the dough prior to cooking requires the development of heat-stable flavors which, to date, are inferior in flavor quality. Oil spraying or spraying and dusting results in messy products which leave residue on the hands of the consumer. The present invention constitutes an improvement in providing flavor and texture in snack food items utilizing conventional confectionery processing techniques.
In prior application Ser. Nos. 402,844 and 402,845, there is disclosed the concept of replacing the cocoa powder and sugar of a confectionery coating with a cheese powder to make a cheese-flavored confectionery coating. Instead of cocoa butter, a bland hard butter is used as the matrix-forming ingredient. A characteristic of the coatings of Ser. Nos. 402,844 and 402,845 is that, in addition to having a cheese flavor, they are capable of storage under ambient conditions. A true cheese normally requires refrigeration.
The coatings of Ser. Nos. 402,844 and 402,845 may be applied to a farinaceous substrate such as crackers, croutons, bread sticks and pretzels, and also to non-farinaceous substrates such as meat centers. However, the formulations of these patent applications would not be suitable for the preparation of savory coatings. A cheese flavor, as with a chocolate flavor, is strong and distinct, and would not necessarily be compatible with the mild, more delicate flavor of a food group such as meat, fish, fowl or vegetable, at least where one of the latter flavors is intended to be stressed. The disclosures of Ser. Nos. 402,844 and 402,845 are incorporated by reference herein.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,360, to Musher, describes a fat-containing food composition which can be added to water and cooked to make a product such as gravy. The food composition comprises essentially a hard fat and a water-absorbent bodying material such as corn starch, tapioca, gum arabic, gelatin and pectin. Spices, condiments and the like, can be intimately admixed with these ingredients. The composition is intended for addition to water or an aqueous medium to make a final product, and would not be suitable as a savory confection-like coating.
The Durst U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,112 describes a food bar and method for making the same, intended to improve on the technology of the Musher patent. In this patent, the fat particles are encapsulated with a film-former such as non-fat milk solids, sodium caseinate, soy protein and others, referred to as hydrophilic colloids. The encapsulated fat particles function as a binder for other food ingredients, described as food particles in flake, shredded, fibrous or powdered form; e.g., corn flakes, wheat flakes, rice, oats, graham cracker pieces, rice crispies, potato flakes, dried meat, vegetables, dried food particles, onion particles and others. As with the Musher et al patent, the product of this patent is designed for reconstitution with or addition to water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,299 to Penton describes a concentrate product which is said to be a rigid or brittle solid at room temperature and which contains a fat, oil or hard butter, emulsifier, and starch material, such as potato starch, arrowroot starch, wheat starch or rice starch. The product of this patent also contains sauce flavoring materials desired to impart a characteristic flavor, such as milk solids, cheese, dehydrated onion chips, dehydrated mushrooms, pimiento, and others. Although principal applications for the concentrate product appear to be such foods as sauces, soups and gravies, prepared by addition to water, it is indicated in the patent that the concentrate of the patent, in a hot, viscous form, can be applied to a food item by spraying, for instance, onto dehydrate potato slices passing on a belt conveyor. On cooling, it is indicated that the concentrate forms a hard coating over the slices which then may be packaged in a suitable container. Even here, the intended ultimate application, such as escalloped or augratin potatoes, is intended to be cooked from a frozen state. There is no mention of forming a confection-like coating for consumption in the marketed state, and the concentrate product of this patent would not be suitable for the preparation of confection-like coatings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,825 to Gilmartin et al describes a synthetic, chunked cheese-flavored product said to be suitable for use on salad dressings, dips, dehydrated foods and sauces. The product comprises finely comminuted cheese-flavored dry material admixed into a molten blend of hard and soft fats.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,977 to Huessy describes the formulation of edible food flavoring cubes or pellets for incorporation into dry food systems, wherein the cubes have a wheat flour, soy flour, and dry buttermilk base. Whey may also be present as a flavoring ingredient. The dry bulk ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and a fat phase, such as hydrogenated vegetable oil, is added. A water phase is then added and mixing is continued until homogeneous. The mix is extruded through a heated die and cut into pellets. The vegetable oil functions primarily to provide lubrication during the extrustion step.
Luck U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,993, assigned to assignee of the present application, describes a sauce or gravy bar adapted to be melted and mixed with water to produce a sauce or gravy for use. The sauce or gravy bars are prepared, in part, by mixing fat, flour and condiment solids together, tempering the mixture, forming the tempered mixture into a solid bar under conditions precluding complete remelting of the fat crystals, and cooling the bar to room temperature. Here again, the product would be unsuitable for the preparation of a confection-like coating.